The following article is a compilation of papers written at the request of two Native American groups exploring the pros and cons of gambling, in terms of spirituality. The article is based on the book, Gambler Way, and was not written to endorse either side of the issue.

There is a history of racism in Thai society toward the tribal peoples that judges them to be primitive despoilers of the forests. This is ironic since the only forests left in Thailand are where the tribal peoples live. The Paganyaw have declared their “land ethic” in a written form: a “Declaration of the Rights and Responsibilities of Forest Communities.”

"The Reservation Boarding School System was a war in disguise. It was a war between the United
States government and the children of the First People of this land. Its intention was that of any war,
elimination of the enemy."

Sure about the superiority of their civilization, European missionaries and teachers tried to convert Indians to Christianity and the European way of life. Some Indians did adopt new ways after disease and violence had decimated their communities; others rejected the European entreaties and pointed out the arrogance of these claims of cultural superiority.